"Why didn't you say anything earlier or later? You just sent the imperial edict to my residence without saying a word..."
Wen Hemian sneered: "Your Majesty, you've really made something of yourself."
"Um."
Xie Lang readily accepted her sarcastic remarks. He slowly stepped forward, his dark pupils revealing extremely complex emotions.
Only when she finally grasped Wen Hemian's fingertips did she seem at ease and say, "Hanshuang, you worry about me, and so do I."
For a moment, his voice seemed to choke, but he suppressed it, leaving only a calm tone: "I'm really, really scared."
Three years ago, he witnessed Wen Hemian fall off a cliff in front of him, which almost became a nightmare for him. This deep-seated fear still resurfaces from time to time even after she returned.
Therefore, when considering himself versus Wen Heming, he would definitely choose Wen Heming without hesitation.
This was an instinctive choice made subconsciously.
"Besides, the time is right, so I'll give it to you sooner or later." Xie Lang said righteously, staring intently at Wen Hemian. "You already promised to do so."
Ultimately, Wen Hemian underestimated how much he cared about her.
She said dryly, "I promised."
She wasn't exactly unhappy, but everything had been agreed upon beforehand, and there was no room for reneging. She was actually already handling this kind of work; she just needed the title.
Xie Lang said frankly, "There are already people in the court who are unhappy about us being together. If I don't give a clear answer, they might cause trouble for you and waste your energy."
It was he who insisted on dragging Wen Hemian into this abyss in the first place, so no matter how bumpy the road ahead may be, he should be the one to solve it. How could he let Wen Hemian worry about it?
She has already compromised too much for him.
"You don't need to explain, I know everything."
Seeing the cautious look in Xie Lang's eyes, Wen Hemian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If she agreed, she wouldn't hold it against him.
"If doing this puts your mind at ease, then it's fine."
Now that the imperial edict had been issued, Wen Hemian stopped dwelling on the matter and instead asked, "How's the production of the muskets going? And the military officers, have they given you any trouble?"
The former refers to war supplies, while the latter relates to strategies and tactics.
"I have ordered the production to be accelerated. Currently, there are over a thousand muskets in stock, and the production will be even faster."
They had tested the power of this weapon; it was several times more powerful than traditional bronze muskets. Given the short timeframe and heavy workload, even if not everyone was equipped with one, having one in the hands of elite soldiers would be enough to weaken the enemy's morale.
As for gunpowder, which has greater destructive power, it is useful, but in the chaos of the battlefield, it is easy to mislead the enemy and harm one's own people. Therefore, although they have it, they will never use it unless it is a special situation.
The research into firearms was not essentially for the purpose of aggression; truth lies within the range of artillery. They were merely seeking self-preservation, to prevent those with ill intentions from coveting them.
It's a very simple principle.
"The military commanders..."
Xie Lang's expression turned somewhat strange: "They didn't make things difficult for me."
"Then why do you have that expression?"
Wen Heming hit the nail on the head.
Xie Lang took another step forward, closing the distance between them, and lowered his head to rest it in the crook of her neck, chuckling softly, "They said that out of respect for the Grand Tutor, they wouldn't make things difficult for me."
Civil officials value etiquette and ethics, and many of them can't control their tongues in private, a trait that is less of a concern among military officers.
The military officers knew perfectly well who had done them a favor, and setting aside the rights and wrongs, they held Wen Hemian in high regard.
They are not as good as the Prince of Huailing who guards the border, but they are still better than the royal family. It's just that Xie Lang is Wen Hemian's student, otherwise they might not have given him a second glance.
A three-foot layer of ice doesn't form in a single day.
"ah?"
Receiving such an answer was both laughable and frustrating; Wen Hemian never expected that she would be of such use in this way.
"Never mind."
The goal is achieved; the process is unimportant.
"Is the Grand Tutor returning to the palace tonight?"
Xie Lang followed along not only to explain the imperial edict, but more importantly, because he missed Wen Hemian.
Wen Hemian deliberately said, "...I won't reply."
"want."
Xie Lang suddenly grabbed her waist.
The force was a little too strong, and due to inertia, Wen Hemian seemed to fall into his arms.
Xie Lang grumbled aggrievedly, "Han Shuang, you've ignored me for two days."
His pitiful act of playing the victim was so pathetic that Wen Hemian couldn't bear to look at him: "What's the reason? Doesn't Your Majesty know?"
Taking advantage of the fact that Wen Hemian couldn't see, Xie Lang's eyes flashed: "The Grand Tutor has been drinking, and he's acting very differently than usual."
She is more easily moved by emotions, and more easily... indulges him.
During the day, he stood at the head of all the officials, a gentle and clear-headed person. But when he drank, he would show a completely different demeanor than usual. She forbade him to drink, but Xie Lang secretly tricked her into drinking a few more cups during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
What happened next is easy to imagine.
In conclusion, drinking alcohol is harmful.
It's the same for everyone.
"I think even if I don't go back today, His Majesty will probably stay."
Wen Hemian had anticipated what he was going to say, which only showed that the Emperor's personality was not surprising at all.
"Grand Tutor".
Xie Lang had a vague sense of certainty. He looked up and met Wen Hemian's smiling gaze. He suddenly realized, "Hanshuang, you're teasing me."
Wen Hemian was both amused and exasperated: "Is this considered a prank?"
Xie Lang, being very good-natured, replied, "No, that doesn't count."
However, if it were in the past, Wen Hemian would never have joked with him like this. Thinking that all these changes were caused by him, Xie Lang's blood inexplicably boiled, filled with an uncontrollable excitement.
Wen Hemian raised her hand to stop him from kissing her, glanced at the sky, and said, "Let's go back to the palace first."
Locking the palace gates didn't have much impact on the emperor, but it was still a bad thing.
Xie Lang laughed: "The Grand Tutor is all talk and no action."
They didn't say they cared, but they cared in every way.
Wen Hemian glanced at him and said, "If I don't do this, you'll start playing the victim again."
In short, Big Tail Wolf.
Xie Lang did not deny this statement; he had no way to refute it, nor did he want to.
Making intimate gestures in public would damage Wen Hemian's reputation, and Xie Lang cared about this more than anyone else. When Wen Hemian agreed to return to the palace, he took the opportunity to let go of her hand and pretended to be reserved.
He only returned to normal after getting into the carriage, and started chatting away with Wen Hemian about the interesting things he had seen in the memorials of the past few days.
Having been emperor for so many years, he had rarely actually ventured outside the capital; he could only glimpse the scenery through memorials from various regions.
It's both frustrating and funny.
Wen Hemian was knowledgeable and experienced, and would occasionally give Xie Lang pointers on the previous sentence, making Xie Lang as happy as a hamster hoarding food.
When he's not acting crazy, His Majesty the Emperor can always associate himself with all sorts of cute little animals.
They had discussed it beforehand, so they weren't too upset.
Even if an imperial edict were issued, many people in the capital would be unable to sleep.
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